<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>punching the hazards by Myargalargan</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26500600">punching the hazards</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Myargalargan/pseuds/Myargalargan'>Myargalargan</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Sukka Does America (Modern Road Trip AU Ficlets) [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Avatar: The Last Airbender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Road Trip, F/M, Fluff, Road Trips, Romantic Fluff</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 12:47:22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,441</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26500600</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Myargalargan/pseuds/Myargalargan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Sokka lets his anxiety get the better of him when a blizzard passing through the mountains interrupts his and Suki's road trip plans.</p>
<p>Part of a series of short ficlets about Sokka and Suki on a great American road trip. Cross-posted from Tumblr.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Sokka/Suki (Avatar)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Sukka Does America (Modern Road Trip AU Ficlets) [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1926637</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>29</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>punching the hazards</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Cross-posted from Tumblr. Originally published July 7, 2020 on @the-power-of-stuff.</p>
<p>Please forgive the fact that evidently in this universe Sokka does not come from a place with tons of snow. &gt;.&gt;</p>
<p>Title from journals I've kept about my own road tripping experiences!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Alright, maestro,” Suki said, smacking a kiss on Sokka’s cheek before burrowing herself under the covers. Sokka absently kissed the air where her face had been, distracted by the weather forecast on his phone. “What time do we have to leave in the morning?”</p>
<p>“Crap…” Sokka replied after scrolling frantically through the article he was reading. </p>
<p>“What is it?”</p>
<p>“The forecast… Ten to fourteen inches of snow in the higher elevations, and this storm is passing right through our route.” He swiped quickly to another news report, then to a live traffic camera feed of the main highway. It looked clear <em>now</em>, but the snow wasn’t supposed to start until the next day. “Dammit, how could I have missed this?” </p>
<p>He should’ve known. It was late October, in the mountains, of course there would be snow during this trip. They’d even gone out of their way to buy tire chains for the car just in case, but those were supposed to be more of an emergency situation kind of thing. He certainly hadn’t <em>intended </em>to drive through a huge snow storm. He didn’t even know how to <em>use </em>tire chains. It just felt like they’d be inviting disaster if they didn’t have them. </p>
<p>Suki placed her hand on Sokka’s knee and squeezed. </p>
<p>“Babe, it’s okay. Why don’t we just stay here an extra day? We’ll just skip whatever we had planned for tomorrow to make up the time.”</p>
<p>He whimpered a little thinking about it. They’d been planning to stop at this amazing donut shop in a city about an hour away the next morning, and he’d had his eye on a giant chocolate-glazed Oreo donut filled with Bavarian cream as well as these things called 8-hour fritters. He wasn’t sure how a regular fritter became an 8-hour fritter, but they were covered in a crackly sugar glaze and came in cherry-pineapple and that was all he’d needed to know. </p>
<p>But there would be no donuts. Frowning, he turned his phone screen towards Suki so she could see the seven straight days of snowfall indicated on the weather app.</p>
<p>“If we stay, we might get stuck here, for who knows how long.”</p>
<p>“Okay, well…we’ll leave super early in the morning, try to beat the storm.”</p>
<p>It was the only thing that made sense. They’d have to leave hours earlier than they’d planned, and skip everything they’d been hoping to do in the mountains – no donuts, no hiking, no hot springs. Then they’d be in the next city well in advance of check-in time at the next hotel, but– </p>
<p>“And if you’re going to be up all night worrying about this, I can do the drive,” Suki offered, interrupting his thoughts.</p>
<p>His frown deepened. He was pretty sure she hadn’t meant that as a dig, but when he replied, it was with indignation.</p>
<p>“I am not <em>worrying</em>, I’m <em>planning</em>. They are very different things.” </p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>The next morning, Sokka groggily handed the car keys over to Suki.</p>
<p>“Turns out staying up all night planning and staying up all night worrying have the same outcome,” was his grumpy surrender. But at least he’d found several options for killing time once they arrived at their next destination. </p>
<p>Suki held his face between her hands when she kissed him and studied him for a moment after she pulled back. </p>
<p>“Thank you for planning for us so well and taking such good care of us.”</p>
<p>The kiss and her words soothed some of his ragged edges, and he bumped her nose with his before getting into the passenger seat.</p>
<p>An hour into the drive, the snow started. They’d climbed a few thousand feet in elevation since their departure, and Sokka was anxiously – no, <em>prudently </em>– watching the shoulders of the highway for accumulation and ice. There was barely a dusting on the grass off the shoulder, but they kept passing electronic signs proclaiming that tire traction and chain laws were in effect, so the way he saw it, one could never be too careful.</p>
<p>And Suki’s driving was perfectly fine, at least when she wasn’t flooring the gas to accelerate past trucks that had slowed in the weather.</p>
<p>“Suk, don’t you think maybe, given all these flashing warning signs out here, that you should pass those trucks a little more…gingerly?”</p>
<p>“Sokka, it’s fine. The roads are no worse than driving through some light rain.”</p>
<p>“But we’re gaining, like, two-hundred feet in elevation every minute, which makes the state of the roads unpredictable-”</p>
<p>“Yes, but you can tell they’ve been salted-”</p>
<p>“They’re still slick-”</p>
<p>“Sokka, I know how to drive!”</p>
<p>The car suddenly jerked to one side.</p>
<p>“Suki!”</p>
<p>“That was the wind! We got buffeted by that truck’s slipstream!”</p>
<p>Sokka saw Suki’s shoulders tighten as she took a deep breath and held. When she exhaled, her mouth scrunched to one side of her face, and he watched as her grip flexed a couple times on the steering wheel.</p>
<p>“Sokka,” she finally said, voice pointedly even. “I’ll slow down, but you should have just told me you were uncomfortable, instead of doubting my awareness of the risks.”</p>
<p>He nodded, too chastened to say anything, and shifted his gaze back out the passenger side window. The next time they passed a truck, it was by creeping degrees, and even though his anxiety had lessened, his stomach felt a little sour.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>That night, Suki sat watching the snow from the safety of their hotel room, and Sokka watched her from where he was lounging on the bed. They’d managed to beat the worst of the storm, and although the drive had been mostly uneventful, Sokka was relieved to have the riskiest part of their journey well behind them. </p>
<p>Suki was cradling a mug of cinnamon-flavored hot toddy, courtesy of the hotel bar, and had curled up in a chair by the window. Sokka could see her face in the window’s reflection, a soft and dreamy expression cast in the orange glow of the overhead light. After taking a shower, she’d put her hair up and changed into a loose, oversized sweatshirt, and she looked so cozy and beautiful his heart felt like it could burst. </p>
<p>“It’s so pretty out. Like a snow globe. You should come see.”</p>
<p>She turned to look at him. Her cheeks were a little rosy from her drink, which made her eyes look somehow both darker and more vibrant, and how was it possible that she was causing him physical pain right now?</p>
<p>“I can see how nice it is from here,” he said, giving her what he thought of as his Extra Charming grin. She smiled back at him warmly and only rolled her eyes a little bit, so he considered the gesture a success. “Want to come watch scary movies with me?”</p>
<p>Seriously, if she kept looking at him like that, all glowy and earnest, he was going to combust. He figured part of it was the beer he’d been nursing since they’d settled into their room, and part of it was the euphoria brought on by the catharsis he’d experienced after getting through the mountains, but mostly it was just the fact that he was so utterly, completely gone for this girl.</p>
<p>“Let’s watch Dream Warriors,” she suggested, eyes bright as she made her way over to the bed.</p>
<p>Once she was snuggled up against him, Sokka pressed his nose to the crown of her head and whispered into her hair, “I’m sorry.”</p>
<p>Suki pulled away with a look of surprise.</p>
<p>“For what?”</p>
<p>“For yelling at you in the car. For doubting you.”</p>
<p>“Sokka…” she smiled that warm smile again. Without the eye roll this time. “It’s okay.” Then she leaned up to kiss him, and he tasted cinnamon and bourbon on her lips. She tasted like comfort. “It was a stressful day. And you were sleep deprived. And you can’t stand not being in control.”</p>
<p>“Hey!” </p>
<p>“So, I forgive you. But only because you’re going to do all the driving tomorrow.” Her smile was broad and innocent.</p>
<p>He sighed. “Fair.” And then he kissed her forehead. “Thank you. For driving the whole way today. And for taking such good care of us.”</p>
<p>Suki brushed her nose against his, mimicking his response to the same words she’d given him that morning.</p>
<p>“Okay,” he said, getting the movie ready after a few moments of simply basking in her. “Let’s get this show on the road. Or should I say, on Elm Street.”</p>
<p>He grinned cheekily when Suki slid a narrow sideways glance his way, one of her eyebrows arched.</p>
<p>“Hey, Freddy Krueger? I hardly know her!”</p>
<p>“Sokka! Oh my god, just start the movie!” </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I'm really sorry...about that last joke. It's terrible, I know.</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>